Video Games Boost Parent-Child Bonding Reveals Study

A new academic study has revealed that video games have a positive impact on the bonding between parents and their kids.

The research, which was carried out by casual games publisher PopCap Games in partnership with Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of Goldsmiths University, concluded that parents who play video games with their children bond with them greater.

According to the study, 32 percent of the parents that took part in the study played computer video games with their children every day while 80 percent of the parents described it as quality time.

Interestingly, one in three parents claimed that playing video games with their kids had a positive impact on their bond with them while 22 percent playing video games increased their child’s awareness about technology.

“These findings are important because they highlight the social benefits of playing videogames. Previous research has tended to look only at the individual effects of video games, but in the era of social networking games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships,” Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic said.

“The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development,” he continued.